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Monthly Archives: March 2006

St. Petersburg, Fla. – Hunter Kemper, who was ranked No. 1 in the International Triathlon Union (ITU) world rankings for 2005 and named “2005 Male Triathlete of the Year” by the U.S. Olympic Committee, officially committed Monday to compete in the St. Anthony’s Triathlon.

Kemper, 29, of Longwood, Fla., is the first U.S. male to finish a season ranked No. 1 in the world. He had a consistent and successful 2005, finishing on the podium five out of seven World Cup races, including wins at the Beijing World Cup and the Mazatlan World Cup. He also finished second at the season-opening Honolulu World Cup, as well as the Ishigaki and Edmonton World Cup events. He secured his No. 1 world ranking with a fourth place finish at the New Plymouth World Cup in New Zealand in November.

Kemper’s ties to St. Anthony’s go back to 1986 when he entered his first triathlon – St. Anthony’s Meek & Mighty Triathlon – as a ten-year old. Kemper won his age group in his first attempt and never looked back. In his first five years of racing, he never lost a youth triathlon.

“St. Anthony’s Triathlon has always attracted the world’s best athletes, and we are thrilled to bring such a high level of competitors to St. Petersburg,” said Philip LaHaye, event manager. “Hunter Kemper is a local favorite, and I know it will be a treat for the fans and competitors to see him competing at St. Anthony’s Triathlon.”

The 23rd annual St. Anthony’s Triathlon will be Apr. 28-30 at Vinoy Park in St. Petersburg. The world-famous triathlon is one of the premier multi-sports events in the United States, offering a weekend focused on fitness and fun with the beautiful backdrop of St. Petersburg’s waterfront downtown.

I love road racing! It is such an addicting sport for me. This last Sunday was the second of 4 races in the George’s Spring series; Hillsdale. It was a windy day of racing with 6 loops each 5 miles long with a brutal climb at the end of each loop, pictured above.

Hortense and I arrived late for the race so no warm up for us. And she also had a flat tire to change as I was leaving to start my race. It was not a good day of competition for her as she ended up getting another flat in lap 2, ending her race. So she biked later in the day to at least get some riding in.

I wanted to test my fitness so I went hard the moment the race started. This almost totally backfired as I wasn’t feeling so hot after a few minutes. After going hard and leading the first lap, I backed off and got in the draft for much of the second lap.

Austin attacked on the climb and ended up getting away and holding his lead for the next two laps. At the beginning of lap number 5 we reeled Austin back into the lead group which was me and 4 or 5 Lactic Acid Cycling guys.

We kept a pretty good pace the last two laps but nobody had any significant attacks. Going up the last hill I led the group up and they blew by me about a third of the way up.

Tactically, it was not a very smart race, but my goal of getting a tremendous work out was definitely achieved and it was a fun day of racing.

The first race in the series was a 2.5 looped course of 40 miles, the Slammer. I was not aggressive in this race and feeling the effects of a hard 10 mile run and 20 mile ride from the day before. However, near the last climb and 5 miles before the finish I was ready to attack and see if I could force the issue until the end. I was leading the group at the start of the climb and geared down as we started gong up….preparing myself for some explosive energy.

OOOOOps, my chain came off!!! I got off my bike as the group of 16 riders went by. I thought my chain was on when I got back on but it quickly dislodged again, I got off again and put it back on and spun the pedal a few times with my hand to make sure it would stay this time. Well, I still needed that explosive energy. I red lined it the next 5 miles in a vain attempt to catch the group which was teasing me on the horizon. I had nothing left the last 200 meters and coasted in about 1:20 behind the lead group. The last 5 miles was an intense, all-out, test of my fitness and I think those tough miles will pay off later in the year.

The Jason Broome Time Trial was this weekend, also know as the ‘Windy 2 Man’. I opted to try the 30 mile individual and was expecting and hour and 10 minute race, give or take a few minutes. Ohh man, was I wrong; the ‘Windy’ time trial lived up to its name. The wind was blowing!

It was awesome heading west for the first length of the 7.5 mile course. I was flying, sailing with a strong tailwind, easily going 32 mph. This was 32 mph with an up right posture and little to no leg strain. Life was good, my fitness seemed phenomenal and there was no stopping me.

Then came the turn-around point. I rounded the cone and stood up to try and get some speed. The speed never came. It was a fight, a struggle, an all out war against the wind. The wind was merciless, not a single reprieve to catch your breath. It would throw you around, set you of course and make you stager like a drunkard. It only got worse if you had the strength to get over 15 mph. And the sensation of crawling along, slowly, while maxing out your legs, muscles screaming for a break, was a mind altering experience… seemed to cause a lot of ‘cursing of the wind’ and ill will towards mother nature. There is another 7.5 miles of dreadfully difficult pavement to cross.

The last mile before the half-way-point was a lesson in determination. My legs and lower back were dreaming for a moment of rest, even just a couple seconds. And I desperately wanted to give it to them. The thought, of calling 15 miles ‘good enough’, danced around in my head. Alas, the prospect of sailing at 32 mph, lured me into another lap.

Ahh! Some relief, and all the while cruising at over 30 miles an hour! I gave my lower back a rest by sitting up high in the bike; also, I think, catching some of that ‘good’ wind.

Then came the dreaded turn-around. And the mind altering began; the peaceful tranquility of cruising at 30 mph turned into a defining roar, your ears being bombarded with mini hurricanes near their lobes. The suffering began in earnest.

But now that it is over… the roar of the wind, leg pain, and overall anxiety from fighting mother nature… it was an outstanding workout and I couldn’t have asked for better preparation for the races to come in a couple months.